Wild life and the camera

Front matter

| Shelf No. | afi (| / )}

*. FROM THE , .

Pterce” Fun.

Part I.—Btrp PHOTOGRAPHY Part IJ.—ANtmAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Tue CarrBou MIGRATION IN NEWFOUNDLAND

THE SToRyY OF A PorcuPINE Hunt

* BLUEY”’: A TRUE STORY OF THE VERY BEST Pet Birp .

My CuHICADEE FRIENDS

NOTES ON THE BREEDING HABITS OF THE AMERICAN Woopcock

SHOOTING WiLD Ducks AND Pace WITH THE CAMERA : ; , ;

THE WHISTLING SwaN oF CuRRITUCK SouUND

Two ’PossuMS AND SEVERAL eraens

A Fisuinc Trip In THE HicH SIERRAS OF CALIFORNIA FOR GILBERT AND GOLDEN TROUT : ‘ : , :

YELLOW Tartu FISHING OFF CATALINA ISLAND . °

FISHING FOR SEA-TROUT IN Nisa Benes wick RIVERS : ; P ;

My First Sammon: A FisHine Trip To NEWFOUNDLAND <

SALMON FISHING IN RR

ALONE UP Mt. KATAHDIN .

MorE ABOUT WINTER AND THE fetter OF THE ANIMALS IN THE SNOW .

THE LIFE OF THE TRAPPER, THE MAN FOR WHOM CoLD WEATHER iS A SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD ; : ;

CAMPING FOR ALL Sieiebies

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297 307

Sil “A +E er % TL igkin 20 if es eg vase

3) : Pot) Bl a ee i ?

y; ¥ eRe stilt

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

WiLp MALLARD RISING . : é : Frontispiece

TO FACE PAGE

STUDY OF YOUNG BIRDS AT THEIR MOST BECOMING AGE ; ? E : . j Woop TurusH on NEST : : : NEWFOUNDLAND CARIBOU IN MIGRATION . : THIS HERD OF CARIBOU SWAM ACROSS THE RIVER DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF MY CAMP. i , EVENING ON SANDY RIVER. IN THE FOREGROUND ARE TWO CARIBOU WHICH HAVE JUST CROSSED. ONCE IN A GREAT WHILE THE HERD IS LED BY A STAG F P ; : ‘ ; ‘ : STAG CARIBOU, PHOTOGRAPHED AT A DISTANCE OF NOT MORE THAN NINE YARDS . ‘ : ; : THE PoRcUPINE AND THE ABANDONED CAMP IN THE SNOW. b F ; d j ; THE PoRCUPINE, THE MAN AND THE HAF Duc-out THE UNruLyY Broop oF FLYCATCHERS . : THE SAME BROOD READY FOR Foop : : THE TAMENESS OF A FAMILY OF CHIPPING SPARROWS YounGc RED-EYED VIREO j } ; : = BLUEY”’) . y ; : . ; ; : CHICADEE FLYING TO MY HAND, IN WHICH SIT THE Hunery Broop FRET. By ’ é 3 ; ONE OF THE YOUNG CHICADEES . ; é é THE WoRM-EATING WARBLER ON HER NEST . j THE Famity OF WoRM-EATING WARBLERS ! 3 WorM-EATING WARBLER FEEDING HER YOUNG ON MY Hand... ; . ; ‘ : : ‘ A WHITE-EYED VIREO, WHOSE DESIRE FOR ORNAMEN- TATION LED HER TO COVER HER BEAUTIFUL SEMI- PENSILE NEST WITH SMALL PIECES OF WooD THAT HAD BEEN CUT BY A WOODPECKER . : d

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10 14 80

A2

56 58 64 64 68 70 80

108 110 118 122 x LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

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VIREO’S NEST, IN WHICH A COWBIRD HAS LAID ITS EGG THE SAME NEST CUT IN HALF TO SHOW RELATIVE POSITIONS OF COWBIRD’S AND VIREO’S EGGS ; Woopcock SITTING ON NEST ; : r : Wixtp CANADA GEESE IN FLIGHT . : WHISTLING SWANS OFF THE VIRGINIA COAST . 5 ‘‘ A LONG NOSE PROTRUDED FROM THE NEST ”’’. ’Possums. ‘‘ NEARER AND NEARER HE CAME UNTIL HIS NOSE WAS VISIBLE OVER THE EDGE OF THE LARGE KNOB ’”’. ? i : é ; .

PLAYING ’Possum—‘ ’Possum II. DECIDED TO HAVE A LOOK AND WITHOUT CHANGING HIS POSITION HE OPENED HIS ROUND DARK EYES”. ‘ : THE OPEN PARK-LIKE DRY COUNTRY AT THE FOoorT- HILLS OF THE SIERRAS OF CALIFORNIA ; F RIDING ALONG THE STEEP SLOPES ON THE WAY TO THE KERN RIVER . ; } ‘ : é ‘ THE Kern RIVER VALLEY . , ‘ ' } FISHING IN THE KERN RIVER ’ ; ‘ : VOLCANO CREEK . , ‘ ; : : ; LANDING A LARGE GILBERT TROUT IN THE KERN River (CALIFORNIA) ; j , ; ; SEA-TROUT FIsHING IN NEw BRUNSWICK ‘ : LEAPING SALMON . ‘ ; : ‘ : ‘ LEAPING SALMON; THE LINE IS FAINTLY VISIBLE. MenpING A CANOE WITH CARIBOU HIDES IN NEW- FOUNDLAND . : ; ; ; : .

IN THE DENSE Woops BELOW KATAHDIN ' : ‘* THE NORTH-EAST SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN IS AN ABRUPT PRECIPICE OF SOLID ROCK ABOUT 4,000 FEET HIGH.* >< : : ‘ : ‘ = : THe WINTER Woops . ; ; ; : : TRACKS IN THE SNOW. ‘THE DEEP FOOTPRINTS ARE THOSE OF A SQUIRREL WHICH WAS EVIDENTLY CAUGHT BY AN OWL OR A HAWK, WHOSE WING TRACKS ARE CLEARLY SHOWN . . : j IN THE WINTER, WHEN EVERY TWIG IS COVERED WITH A GLISTENING COAT OF ICE $ . ; ‘

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158 168

268 276

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

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TRACKS IN THE SNOW SHOWING WHERE A Musk Rat HAS COME FROM AND RETURNED TO THE WATER . TRACKS IN THE SNOW SHOWING WHERE A MINK HAS cAUGHT A Musk RarT AS IT EMERGED FROM A HOLE IN THE ICE. y i : : ‘ é ** JOE,’ THE ONE-ARMED TRAPPER AND HIS CABIN . ** JOE,’ THE ONE-ARMED TRAPPER . : : ; CAMPING IN WINTER WITH THE THERMOMETER 20° BELOW ZERO ‘ : ; , 3 : WINTER CAMPING. CROSSING A SNOW-COVERED LAKE WINTER CAMPING IN FLORIDA : f ; :

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BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY ANIMAL PHOTOGRAPHY

W.L.C,

CONT OM

CHAPTER I Part I Brrp PHOTOGRAPHY

Wuize book-illustrating has changed continually since printing was first discovered, perhaps the greatest improvement has been made in pictures of birds and animals, and it is largely to the camera that we owe this great improvement. Until quite recently only drawings were used for illustrations, and with subjects such as birds “the personal equation” played so prominent a part that one felt a certain sense of doubt as to the accuracy even of fairly good drawings. |

For my own part-I had never been satisfied with drawings of birds; and therefore, giving up the pencil, I followed in the footsteps of those who were experimenting with bird photography. All my earlier attempts were with mounted specimens, at first without any accessories. But the photographs seemed hard and unlifelike. Then I tried placing the mounted bird in natural surroundings, either out of doors or beneath a skylight. The pictures were fairly satisfactory, but still there was no disguising the fact that the bird was mounted. The eyes, and usually the legs, told the story. The pictures were unsympathetic ; it was as though

B 2 one had photographed the wax model of a friend. The likeness was there, but the life was lacking. And there was another objection: although to the casual observer the specimen may appear well mounted, how rarely is shown the characteristic pose so subtle and delicate in its infinite variety. But few taxidermists are naturalists, and without endless study of living birds how can anyone expect to know the attitudes assumed by the different species? The human eye itself is scarcely quick enough to take note of these things, and so it is to the camera that we must turn, and use it as eye, notebook, and pencil. It was the realisation of this fact that led me finally to try-the fascinating but difficult task of photographing the living bird.

To begin with, only nestlings were my models, and I was delighted with the results—no glass eyes nor dried-up legs to mar the picture, but expressions as varied as they were beautiful, and positions entirely different from those seen in mounted specimens. ‘These successes led me, of course, to attempt photographing the adult bird, and I made many experiments with tame birds. It was. necessary to have a place arranged so that there might be abundant light; and to avoid sameness in the arrangement of the lighting, the contrivance must be movable. I made a wooden platform (supported on two light wooden horses) about six feet long, and covered it with mosquito netting stretched on a light framework. The background was of wood, to which could be attached paper or cloth of any desired shade. ‘The camera could be moved backward or forward and secured with a tripod screw. Into this portable cage the bird was to be put, and as there was only one perch—usually a stick or small branch of convenient shape and size—I fondly imagined that the bird would sit pretty nearly where I wished. But I was doomed to disappointment. When I put the bird in, any place and every place suited him better than the perch so carefully arranged for his special comfort. When a bird, no matter how tame he may be, is placed amid new and unusual surroundings, he is at first greatly frightened, and therefore quite unmanageable. It usually requires some time to prove to him that the new cage will not harm him. So I found my cage not altogether a success, but by patience I managed to obtain some satisfactory photographs.

THe Sport oF PHOTOGRAPHING Wixp Brrps

It was not long before I was led to attempt the task of photographing the adult bird in its wild state and in its natural surroundings. It was then I began to appreciate the fascination of the work. Looked at from any one of several standpoints, the photographing of wild birds will be found equally satisfactory. As a sport it should take a high place, for undoubtedly the skill as well as the perseverance and the instinct of the hunter is a necessary requirement, and a successful shot with the camera is far more difficult to obtain than a correspondingly fortunate (on one side only) shot from a gun. ‘Then, too, the accomplishment of one’s desire leaves behind it no disagreeable taste to mar the pleasure. What sportsman is there (and I speak neither of pot hunters nor “ game hogs”) who, hearing the death-bleat of a deer, does not at heart wish his shot had miscarried? ‘Then, as a means of really becoming acquainted with birds, the camera is without an equal, for to be even a moderately successful bird photographer, one must have an intimate knowledge of the subject ; and the camera, in teaching us to know the birds, must of necessity stimulate our affection for these useful and defenceless creatures. As a recorder of facts it is of great scientific value, for it cannot lie, and it records in an unmistakable form every detail presented, whether it be the daily growth of a nestling or the exquisite detail of the bird’s nest.

It is, however, to the keen pleasure that may be derived from this new sport that I would particularly call attention. Not only is there the delight in overcoming difficulties (and they will be found both numerous and varied), but there is the pleasure of being placed among surroundings that are inseparable from this pursuit. A rich harvest of interesting facts relating to the bird’s home life may be gathered by any observing person who spends much time along the hedge-rows or in the woods.

He who would hunt birds with the camera will find that without doubt the breeding season is the time best suited to his purpose, for then the feathered housekeepers are restricted in their individual range to a comparatively limited area. Having learned the situation of their house, he may find them at home when he calls, engaged in

~ attending to their various domestic duties. The first thing to do after the introduction, 2.e., learning their name, is to obtain their confidence, and, with birds as with people, there must be confidence if we wish friendship. How easily one may gain this. confidence depends quite as much upon the individuality of the bird as upon the species. The fear of man is inherent in all birds, but by judicious management this fear can to some extent be allayed.

WINNING THE CONFIDENCE OF Witb Brrps reat many instances have come before my notice of the change in a bird’s behaviour from xtreme fear and distrust to a degree of confidence,

' which, to the inexperienced, seems almost inconceivable. ‘The power to tame birds or animals is thought to belong peculiarly to certain persons. This may or may not be true, but from my own observations I am inclined to believe that tameness is a quality rather of the natural disposition of the individual, bird, or animal.

With some birds I have spent days in trying to convince them that I intended no harm, yet they placed not the slightest confidence in me, ‘and would not even feed their young if I were in sight. Others of the same species became accustomed to my presence after less than an_ hour, showing their confidence by coming to their young while I stood in plain sight, within a few feet of the nest. It is in the difficulty of familiarising the bird with ourselves and the camera that we experience the greatest obstacle to photographing them.

Of the many delightful birds I have had the good fortune to know, the worm-eating warbler family, whose portraits are shown elsewhere, have afforded me the greatest pleasure, for they became absolutely fearless of the camera, and they placed a degree of trust in me that was as unusual as it was delightful.

To photograph the nest containing eggs is usually a comparatively easy matter, as a long exposure may be given. The best results are obtained when a grey day is chosen, as the light is softer and more diffused, so that all the details, both of nest and eggs, are clearly shown. <A very different task is the photographing of the young in the nest, and the resulting pictures are seldom what one hopes for. The reasons for this are obvious. The young are never quiet even when asleep, owing to their rapid respiration. ‘This precludes a time exposure, and this in turn prevents the use of anything but a large diaphragm ; therefore, as the distance from the near edge of the nest to the bird farthest away is several inches, only a small part can be in focus, while the rest is - a blurred mass. If the light is sufficiently bright, the best results may be obtained when the nestlings raise their heads for food, as each bird is then more clearly defined, instead of being a part of a shapeless, heaving mass. ‘This applies more particularly to the photographing of small birds, as the camera, with a lens of ordinary focal length, has to be placed very near the nest, with the consequent lack of depth of focus that is unfortunately inseparable from such conditions.

To photograph the parent bird sitting is difficult or easy according to the disposition of the bird, which varies not only with the different species, but with individuals of the same species. Usually the brown thrasher, the wood thrush, or the catbird will sit close, and allow the camera to be placed within a few feet of them while they are on the nest; but I have seen exceptions, which go to prove that success depends largely upon the peculiar disposition of the bird itself. People, asa rule, think that, because a bird builds its nest in the immediate vicinity of a house, it is necessarily tamer than one that chooses the quiet seclusion of the woods. This has not been my experience, for the tamest birds I have ever known were those that nested in places comparatively remote from human habitation. 3

When the fledglings leave their nest, the bird photographer should be on hand, for then it is that he can obtain the best pictures, as the youngsters may be put on any perch that best suits his fancy, and a place where there is sufficient light may be chosen. For the benefit of those who might wish to try their hand at this fascinating branch of photography I give the following suggestions :—

Select a branch or briar of suitable shape and size—and young birds prefer a fairly thick perch. This should be arranged so that it will not be swayed by the wind, lest the branch move and the birds be out of focus. Bright sunlight is necessary, as the exposure must not exceed one-fiftieth of a second. With such a short exposure the shadows are likely to be lacking in detail, so it is advisable to place beneath the birds a white cloth, and this should be tilted to such an angle that the reflected light shall strike those parts of the birds that are in siidow:

If the natural background is not strongly sunlit, it will be an advantage to use a white or lightgrey cloth as an artificial background, but it should be placed at a reasonable distance from the birds ; from four to eight feet will answer. Now place the little fellows on the perch and arrange the camera, remembering--if you wish to photograph the parent bird with her young—to leave sufficient space between the young birds and the edge of the plate, so that no matter on which side the old one comes to feed them the camera will be in readiness. All that remains to be done is to attach a long rubber tube to the shutter. Then sit down in an inconspicuous place and wait patiently until the old birds have fully convinced themselves that no harm is intended. ‘Then they will venture near the camera and feed their hungry young.

Any one who uses the camera as a means of studying bird life will undoubtedly be surprised to find how marked is the individuality of birds. Not by casual observation does one discover this, but in the intimacy with the birds that one acquires when one watches for hours at a time the bird upon whose nest or young one may happen to have the instrument focused.

A. camera, to be rigid and sufficiently durable to stand several seasons of field work, must be

RL Abn ta) h, 2 nah st: : a 4 a fairly heavy, though not of necessity large. A sufficient size for most work is five by seven inches, while some even prefer one as small as four by five. This latter is of convenient size for those who wish to have lantern slides made from their negatives, and is certainly far better adapted to all whose enthusiasm is limited, and who do not wish to overburden themselves.

For my own part I use the five by seven almost exclusively, and frequently I wish it were larger, particularly when the subject to be photographed is the parent bird feeding her young after they have left the nest. Place four or five fledglings on a branch, leaving sufficient space on either side to allow the old bird to stand, and reduce all this interesting material down to a five-inch space, and you will realise the advantage of even the extra two inches allowed by the five by seven. How many times has it happened to me to have the father or mother bird perch just outside the limits of my five by seven plate, and assume some attitude that I was most anxious to catch; and again how often has the plate through its limited size cut off part of the adult bird. In such cases I long for my larger camera which, on account of its weight, has been left behind.

Of course, bird photographs have to be taken under widely different conditions. Some birds are far less shy of man, and incidentally of the camera, than others.

It always seems surprising that a bird of such a nervous disposition as the wood thrush undoubtedly is, should be comparatively easy to photograph.

Thus far I have seldom found any that, while on the nest, would not, after a few attempts, allow the camera to be brought fairly near. For this reason, combined with the fact that they may be found so abundantly in the vicinity of dwellings, and that their nests are usually placed at a convenient height, they are most useful to the bird photographer. The birds themselves are so handsome and their markings so conspicuous that they show to the greatest advantage in a photograph, while such birds as the Baltimore oriole, the cardinal and others of equally brilliant plumage are very disappointing, as they lose greatly when shown in black and white. Take away their gorgeous colouring and we scarcely recognise them, while the wood thrush is unmistakable, whether depicted in black and white or in colour.

As an example of how a bird tries to conceal itself by means of its protective colouring, I will mention the case of a wood-thrush which I recently photographed. From the moment when she saw me coming towards her, armed with the camera, she never changed her position, but stood immovable, as though she were part of the natural growth, evidently believing herself to be unseen. At a distance of about seven feet I placed the camera, and throughout all the movements incidental to the focussing and arranging of things, she never moved, and I was therefore able to give the fairly long exposure that was made necessary by the strong light and shade. During the many times [ visited her, only this once did she assume this peculiar position of imaginary concealment.

Another photograph was made in order to satisfy the doubtings of a disbelieving Thomas. The idea of attaching the camera to the higher branch of a tree and making the exposure with the aid of forty feet of rubber tubing was a story too far-fetched for my friend. ‘To convince him that it could be done I selected a nest situated in a erotch of the upper branch of a maple and secured the camera to an adjoining branch about five feet

~ from the nest.

The conditions were entirely unfavourable for photography, as the mass of leaves cut off the light except in front of the camera. However, a photograph had to be made, and so, after arranging things as best I might, I set the shutter for a three seconds’ exposure. ‘Then, descending the tree, I waited for the return of the mother thrush. She had throughout been watching the operations, with feelings closely akin to disgust, and when I removed my unwelcome presence to a little distance, she returned to the tree and abused the harmless camera as though it had been some frightful monster.

Finding it did not retaliate in any way and that it remained absolutely quiet, the excited bird soon quieted down and turned her attention to the hungry brood who called loudly for food. | Such calls are imperative, and Mrs. Thrush went off in search of some desirable morsel. ‘This she found after a very short time and with it she returned to the nest. Now was my opportunity and I pressed the bulb. Then, changing plates, I returned to the dark room to develop what I hoped would turn out to be a good negative, but such was not to be; during the long exposure the bird had moved and so the plate was spoiled. Once more I returned to the tree, and after a short wait succeeded in making another exposure, this time with better results as shown in the accompanying illustration. Incidentally I may remark that my friend was convinced. We will now turn our attention to photographing: young birds being fed by their parents. This is, of course, no easy task, especially when the bird one wishes to portray is one like the Indigo bird, for the Indigo is not at all of a trusting nature. Man to them is an enemy to be avoided at all hazards. The gift of song together with the beautiful plumage of these small birds has been to them a living curse. Man, instead of being content to enjoy the presence * of such ornaments amid their natural surroundings, must needs keep up a continual warfare against the harmless creatures, by catching them in traps, quite regardless of the law, and using them as an article of commerce. Years of such persecution have made them suspicious. Only in very exceptional instances do we find one that is at all tame. Many times have I tried, and in vain, to secure a photograph of the sitting bird on her nest, while the idea of her feeding her young with the camera in close proximity seemed nothing more nor less than a wild dream. One day, however, by good fortune I met with a family of Indigo birds that would pose forme. ‘The young, usually extremely wild, were perfectly well behaved and remained where- _ ~ever I chose to place them, but of the parents

Wood Thrush on Nest.

ti ye only the dull-coloured mother bird would venture within shot of the camera, while the father, puffed up with vanity, for he is most wonderfully clothed in various shades of intense blue, would sit on the topmost branches of the trees near by and spend his time in song. All endeavours to induce him to come near the camera were futile. His dusky mate proved somewhat more tractable, and as long as I kept at a respectful distance from the camera, she did not seriously object to feeding her young ones. But the overwhelming combination of man and camera was more than she could stand, so while I succeeded in securing a number of photographs, in nearly every case I had to conceal myself in the underbrush and make the exposure through the long tube already mentioned. ‘Towards the end of the second day she became rather less shy, but still she showed little of the confidence displayed by some other of my bird friends.

Spending so much time with birds affords one splendid opportunities for studying their habits, and with this interesting, if exclusive, family, the feature of their domestic arrangements that struck me most forcibly was, that not once did his lordship deign to carry food to any of his hungry offspring ; entirely to the industrious little mother were the youngsters beholden for their meals, and the number of grasshoppers, spiders, and caterpillars that she had to catch was quite remarkable. ‘The only duties incumbent on her gaily bedecked lord, that I could discover, were firstly, that he must warn her of impending danger by uttering a sharp note of alarm; secondly, he must try, if the intruder happens to be of the human kind, to lead him as far as possible from the nest, which is carefully hidden in the tangle of undergrowth; thirdly, he must furnish amusement for the family by constant song. Surely his is the easier task.

Part II ANIMAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Ir was quite natural that, after having devoted many years to bird hunting with the camera, I should become more ambitious and try my luck with larger and, shall I say, more interesting game ? No; that would indeed be disloyal to the birds that first tempted me into what was then a virgin field. Each phase of the sport has its own particular virtues and attractions, its obstacles to overcome and sometimes its triumphs. Perhaps the chief difference between bird and animal work is that with birds, especially the smaller kinds, the great charm is in trying to overcome their natural fear of man in order to gain if possible their comparative if not complete confidence. No one who has not attempted this has any idea how much pleasure and satisfaction may be derived from the friendship of even the smallest and most common of wild birds. On the other hand, with animals there is seldom any question of friendship, except in rare instances and then usually only with the smaller species. The sportsman must be content with his joy in outwitting the keenly developed senses of the ever hunted, such as the deer, or of those equally alert, the hunters, the car-

ANIMAL PHOTOGRAPHY 17 nivorous, great and small. You must match your intelligence, handicapped as it is by the somewhat dulled senses of seeing and hearing and the almost dead sense of smell, against those which have these three senses most keenly developed, and whose acute powers of reasoning should never be despised by the hunter. It is, as I have stated, difficult to say which pursuit affords the greater pleasure or keener excitement. Each is splendid and each will teach its many lessons to those who will but use their eyes intelligently and not jump to conclusions too hastily. Unfortunately this fault of hastiness is only too common, especially in two kinds of people, those who are too lazy to make their investigations without a sufficient degree of thoroughness, and those who by nature are impulsive and overenthusiastic. By such people, if they have but the suggestion of a theory on which to work, all incidents and conditions will be made to fit this pre-established theory; their eyes are blinded to all else. Mole-hills are turned into mountains and conclusions will be reached which have not the slightest foundation. No one has a much better opportunity to study wild animals in their native state than he who hunts with the camera. Unlike the man who shoots and so destroys the actual subject of his study, the camera-hunter is frequently forced to spend many, many hours of enforced inactivity whilst in the presence of the animals, waiting, perhaps, for them to come within range, to reach a place where stalking would be possible, or where the light will be good—waiting in fact for any of a dozen possible things to occur. W.L.C. Cc

It is during such times that the lessons are learnt, that the unexpected events take place. The actual photographing takes very little time, but the watching is never ended for those who really wish to observe and learn.